Reflux at night

I have been blessed with only three cases of reflux since surgery, until the last two months with three this week and probably six others. I do not eat three hours prior to bed and only drink milk, due to my hypoglycemia for the natural sugar to carry me through the night. I am on protonix 40 mg. daily and take some tums when needed. I would like to know if anyone deals with this poblem on a regular bases and what have you done to releave this terrible reflux, awakening me chokeing in the middle of the night. I thank all of you in advance and will be calling my gastroenterologist Monday. Thanks,  Phil A.

Just had one last night. Hadnt eaten in about 6-7 hours went to sleep and bam 2am chocking,puking and terrible pain. over the last three years the only thing that ever helped during an episode was taking tylonal with codine. after a few swigs it starts to calm down then the pain subsides and it makes me able to go back to sleep. My dr gave me 2 large bottles of the liquid  thank god, i dont know what i would do without it. I take it everwhere I go cause I never know when it will happen. With me there is no rime or reason when it hits. Ive tried everything. I gave up and now just treat it when it happens.

Golden delicious Yellow apples, peeled and cored by hand is the only thing that works for me.  I hand pick them to make sure they are ripe, not green.  Sometimes I put them in the window to make sure they are fully ripe.  Yellow only.

Ted

I get this almost every night.  it gets so bad that i sleep with 5 pillows behind my back and hold up my head and neck almost like sitting position. it comes up sometimes into my nose, into my lungs, choking, gagging, vomiting, acid burning up and down my throat, it doesnt even matter what i eat anymore, i can only eat ice cream now anyhow, no acid, and i am on prontonix 40 mgs 2xs day. i still get this. i nearly died from i could not breathe from the gagging and choking.  i have found that i can not eat anything, not even water after 4-5 pm and then go to bed by around 10-11 pm and i still get this. i dont know what to do. i take creon but that makes me constipated and backs me up, which seems to make it worse, when you dont have enough room then it comes back up, and i am on morphine also with valium.  i can not eat any thing with acid or chocolate, pasta, meat, uncooked fruits, orange juice, lemon etc. all of it makes me gag then the hiccups begin, then that doesnt quit for all night long. i had a scope done i have a small hiatal hernia and ulcers, erosions, diverticulum, flatten villi, stomach cancer, pancreas head not only atophied to 1/3 the size  but cancer also there. i dont know what to do, i have occult bleeding into my gut from who knows where, my hematacrit is low, i dont drink booze or smoke. the GI just told me dont take advil or aleve or tylenol b/c i cant not process any of it in my gut at all. all of it makes my gut bleed and open up. too tricky.

Hi Phil,  I had my surgery 2 1/2 years ago and I do on occasion get relux at night.  usually around 3 am. I sleep with a wedge pillow and I do not eat after 8 at night.. I take protonix 40 mg. twice a day.  I also take carafate 4 times a day (I have had an inflamed esophagus, which I did not know I had) what the burning & vomiting is Bile Reflux....nothing can stop it. Last about an hour and the pain will not go away until I throw up all the bile...I have had this happen 5 times since January.  My surgeon told me there is nothing that can be done about it.  I think he said something like "collateral damage"...  I have had Acid reflux happen during the night at least 5 or 6 times since January. I like to have a little bit of ice cream at night and it seems to calm my stomach down. Let me know if your GI doctor has any answers for you...I will be watching this blog to see if there is any help or ideas that may work.  I will try the apple and see what that does. 

Thanks.  Carol

 

 

Hi Phil,

I can't believe that you are only recently bothered by acid reflux.  It seems like I have been bothered by it since my surgery in Nov 2007.   Of course I have my bedframe raised about 6 inches and use an incline pillow along with another pilllow.  I have to take Protonix twice a day and in December, my GI added 40 mg of Famotidine (Pepcid) which I take right before I go to sleep.  It has helped some, but have still had some episodes.  I get terrible pain in my ears, jaw and throat.  It usually lasts about an hour, but feel pretty wretched the next day.  I do eat the Golden Delicious apple at night and is usually helpful.  I am still discovering what foods I can and cannot eat.  I think steak is just too hard to digest.  I have had 2 episodes after eating it.  I keep a journal of when I have acid reflux with notes on what I ate that may have triggered the attack.  Hope this helps and good luck!  Let us know what your GI says.

Donna

Phil,

I had my surgery in July of 2010.  I didn't really experience the bile reflux until about a year or so ago.  I was sleeping on a wedge and I think I was falling off of it causing the bile to come up.  I got a mattress genie for my bed (long inflatable pillow) and that has helped.  I also began eating a peeled apple, didn't really matter what type, about 1/2 hours before I go to bed.  I am taking Zantax 150 twice a day and eating about 3 to 4 hours before I go to bed.  So far this seems to be working.

Hi Phil, it seems the only times i have acid reflux is whe i eat n drink too much before i sleep. I have not tried anything. Just get out of bed and sleep sitting up on a chair for about an hour. That usually cures it. I am on 40 mg of prilosec a day. Recently i did an upper scope n doctor gave me carafate n metoclopramide but i dont think it is for the reflux. Andy

I contacted my Gastroenterologist and he has prescribed Reglan 5mg.before bedtime. I will start taking the meds. tonight and hope it works out well without all the side-effects. I used this medication over twenty years ago and had to stop it due to chest spasams and have read articles on this board with people having trouble with it. I will see the Doctor in eight weeks and I am a little dissapointed that after almost 4 1/2 yrs. since surgery this issue started. I have had a total of seven reflux issues at 3;00a.m. since April this year and hope they leave as quick as I received them. I should not complain for others here have dealt with a lot worse issues. I tell mysef that every day is a gift, when battleing EC. I thank you all for your responces.  Take Care and GOD Bless. Phil A.

I am 5 yrs post surgery and get reflux at least a couple times each week.  In addition to the other comments, I keep a bottle of Tums next to my bed.  As soon as I wake up with reflux I chew a Tums.  It helps with the burning sensation and also neutralizes the acid in my mouth so my teeth don't suffer so much damage.

Tom